Adair County, Missouri Genealogical Records Information

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Adair County History and Information

Adair County Facts

Adair County was organized January 29, 1841, from Macon County and named for John Adair, the eighth governor of Kentucky. The County Seat is Kirksville. The Official County website is located at ?. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Adair County are Putnam County (northwest), Schuyler County (north), Scotland County (northeast), Knox County (east), Macon County (south), Linn County (southwest), Sullivan County (west).

Cities and Towns include Brashear, Gibbs, Greentop, Kirksville, Millard, Novinger, Yarrow

Adair County, Missouri History Books at Amazon.com
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There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Adair County Court Records

See Also Missouri Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All Departments below are in the Adair County Courthouse located at 106 W. Washington, Kirksville, MO 63501; Telephone: (660) 665-3350, unless otherwise noted below. See also Courthouse History.

Adair County Clerk of the Court has Permanent record of births,1883-1893.
In this office in each county is located an index to common pleas, records of all extant proceedings, chancery minute books, records of births and deaths, county court records, right-of-way and road records, as well as surveyor's records (including field notes and plats made by the county surveyor). This office usually holds the county treasurer's notes, bonds and commissions, records of marks and brands, wolf scalps, stray notices, real estate assessments, and tax books. In some counties, early terms for this court included “Chancery” or the “Court of Common Pleas.”

Adair Register of Deeds / Recorder has , Index to deeds,1841-1887; Deed Records,1841-1883; Warranty Deeds,1871-1886; QuitClaim deeds,1871-1888; Sherriff's Deeds,1879-1888; Index to Marriage records,1841-1886; Marriage records,1841-1916; Military discharge records,1866-1890.
The Office of Recorder of Deeds records and files instruments of writing affecting real property or personal property, subdivision plats, federal and state tax liens, and other instruments of writing. Also, the Recorder’s Office issues marriage licenses, and in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code files termination statements. All recorded instruments are available for public research.

In the smaller counties, probate matters are handled in the same office as the associate circuit court office. (In larger counties, there will be a separate probate court clerk's office and separate probate judges/commissioners).

Adair County Probate Court Clerk has Index to Probate records,1841-1908;Probate Records,1841-1897; Administrators/Executors letters, bonds and records, 1857-1868; Settlement Records,1857-1908 ;Guardians/Curators records,1885-1887; Will Records, 1857-1918.

Adair County Circuit Court Clerk has Index to Circuit court records,1841-1904;Circuit court records,1841-1886.
This office holds the direct index to records such as divorces, debt, dissolution of partnerships, adoptions, judgment, and tax fee books including direct and indirect indexes. They also retain the index to criminal records and criminal files of the circuit court. Adoptions are under the jurisdiction of the circuit court. Naturalization records, including petitions, declarations of intention, certificates, and certificates of allegiance, and granting of citizenship are also located in the clerk's office, as well as an index to civil case files. Some naturalization records have been found with the deeds.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Missouri Marriages, 1766-1983, Missouri Marriages to 1850, Missouri Marriages, 1851-1900. You may also search the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Land Patents: 1831 - 1969. Many pioneers and settelers bought land from the government instead of individuals.

Click Here to Search Missouri Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Adair County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Adair County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Adair County, Missouri Court Books at Amazon.com
Missouri Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Adair County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The Missouri Historical Society has some original tax records; others can be found in the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri, but most extant records remain in the office of the clerk of the county court. The Missouri State Archives has microfilmed some tax records for the counties of Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Chariton, Clay, Cooper, Franklin, Howard, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, St. Charles, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve.

Prior to 1850, purchasers of the federal lands in Missouri were exempt from land taxes for five years after purchase. If one finds an ancestor on a Missouri tax list with livestock, etc., but no land being taxed, the individual may have purchased his land from the government within the preceding five years.
Some early delinquent tax lists were sent to the state auditor's office and are now located in the Capitol Fire Documents held by the Missouri State Archives

Below is a list of online resources for Adair County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Adair County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Adair County, Missouri Tax Books at Amazon.com

Adair County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Missouri Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Adair County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Adair County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Adair County Public Library
One Library Lane, Kirksville, MO 63501-2550; Phone(660) 665-6038 / Fax (660) 627-0028
Adair County Historical Society, 211 S. Elson, Kirksville, Mo 63501-3466
Local Missouri Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
Missouri State Archives, Missouri State Information Center, [EMAIL]
P.O. Box 1747, 600 West Main Str, Jefferson City, MO 65102; Phone:(573) 751-3280, Fax: (573) 526-7333
State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Str., Columbia, MO 65201-7298; (573) 882-7083, [EMAIL]
Missouri State Genealogical Association, P.O. Box 833, Columbia, MO 65205-0833
Missouri Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
See the Society page for more statewide Societies and archives
Missouri Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Adair County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Missouri Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Adair County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Adair County Tombstone Transcription Project.

The Missouri State Archives has published A Brief Guide to Church Records on Microfilm which is a county by county listing, but it is currently out of print. The available church records can be located by using the Archives' Manuscript Register. Church microfilm rolls are not available for purchase, without written consent of the individual church, and must otherwise be used at the Missouri State Archives. The Western Historical Manuscript Collection on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus holds some church records. These can be located by using their descriptive catalogue or microfiche guide. Most church records in Missouri are scattered and remain in private hands

There is no central registry for cemeteries located in Missouri. The following national cemeteries are located in Missouri:

Springfield National Cemetery, 1702 E. Seminole Street, Springfield, Missouri 65804. All known soldiers buried there, including those transferred from towns throughout southwest Missouri were published in Ozar'kin
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 101 Memorial Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63125. There is a card file reference to persons interred there. Inquiries may be made by phone or mail.
Jefferson City National Cemetery, 1024 E. McCarty Street, Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. The researcher may phone or write the Jefferson Barracks for information.

Below is a list of online resources for Adair County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Adair County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Missouri Bible Records, Volume 1: The database is the first volume in a series of Bible records that includes such information as births, marriages, probate information, and deaths of individuals who settled in Missouri.
Adair County, Missouri Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Adair County, Missouri Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search Missouri Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Adair County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Adair County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Adair County ] [ Missouri ] [ Main Page ]
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Missouri Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Still National Osteopathic Museum and the National Center for Osteopathic History
800 West Jefferson, Kirksville, MO 63501; Phone: 660 626 2359 , Fax: 660 626 2984
Adair County, Missouri Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

Courthouse History
Tradition says Adair County's first courts met in a schoolhouse two miles south of Kirksville. The first courthouse, which cost $1,000, dates from 1843. It was a low, one-story, brick temporary building, located on a lot across the street from the square. John B. Earhart was the builder, and John D. Callison, a carpenter. Caleb Barnett was superintendent. The first court held there met July 3, 1843.

The square was reserved for the permanent courthouse. The court ordered the first permanent building in February 1852 and initially appropriated $2,200. William H. Parcells was appointed superintendent and was sent to Knox county, just east of Adair County, to get the plan for its recently completed building at Edina. Adair County then adapted the foursquare design and built it on the public square. On March 8, 1852, the contract was awarded to Galyon and Douglass, who completed the work in 1853. The first floor contained offices; a few additional rooms and the courtroom were on the second floor.

Fire destroyed this courthouse April 12, 1865, and the county remained without a courthouse for 30 years. For many of these years, the public square was known as the "Park." An illustration from the atlas of 1876 shows a portion of the square filled with a geometric pattern of trees. The third and present Adair County courthouse dates from the turn of the century.

As Adair Countians contemplated a new courthouse, some proposed a different location where only one main facade would be necessary. This would reduce construction costs considerably and leave the square for a public park. But, in April 1896 the people voted to put the building on the square.

Several bond issues failed before one inspired the majority of voters, on August 3, 1897, to finance $50,000 for building a replacement. Notices placed in local newspapers by the county judges illustrated the Johnson County courthouse, with the enticement that Adair County could have a comparable building for $50,000. During September 1897 the court chose the winning design from competition attracting nine architects, including George McDonald of Johnson County and Frank Miller of Cole County. The Kirksville Democrat published J. B. Legg's plan, which was ultimately built in Gasconade, Mississippi and St. Charles counties. However, judges of the court selected the design of R. G. Kirsch and Co. of Milwaukee (see Figure 2). Kirsch was to receive 2-1/2 percent of the building cost, estimated to be $47,000.

Firms from Denver, Milwaukee, Chicago, Omaha and Kirksville prepared alternate bids for building the courthouse, based upon the selection of building stone. Apparently, the first preference had been red portage stone, but Ohio blue sandstone became the final choice. Sealed proposals were accepted until late in October 1897. A Quincy, Illinois, firm, Anderson and Menke, submitted the low bid of $46,695, which the court accepted November 6, 1897. C. C. Anderson was from Kirksville, F. W. Menke from Quincy.

Adair County's courthouse was to measure 112 feet, 10 inches by 85 feet, and was to rise to a height of 139 feet. The foundation, of concrete and Quincy limestone, was laid in hydraulic cement; the outer walls were of sandstone, and stone-arched entrances rested on granite columns. Granolithic and tile floors were supported by a steel and concrete foundation. Metal stairways had birch handrails. There was a copper cornice and a slate roof. All construction was fireproof; there were six fireproof vaults. The building was lighted by electricity, heated by steam, and featured "sanitary sewage," a technological improvement much appreciated by those familiar with the privy on the square.

In spite of earlier rain and the threat of continued bad weather, cornerstone ceremonies for the Adair County courthouse, held May 2, 1898, attracted a crowd estimated at 15,000.

Three other counties contracted with architect Kirsch to build courthouses, using the same plan as Adair County, with roof variations on the corner pavilions and minor tower changes. Carroll County's building dates from 1901, and construction began in Polk and Vernon counties during 1906.

After being without a courthouse for so many years, Adair County had felt the sting of ridicule from her sister counties. Finally, when county officials occupied the building March 31, 1899, Adair County could boast about having the best courthouse in the northeast part of the state. This courthouse is now included in the National Register of Historic Places.

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